Regulating mechanism



July 2, 1929. G. MUFFLY ET AL 1,719,075

REGULATING MECHANI SM Filed July l, 1927 gyn/ummm GLEN/v Maf-*FLY No Hopso/Y 5. /D/ERc-E llti dal

atentel duly 2, 1929,.

Glldllllllll' MUFFLY AND HUGSN S. PIERCE, 02E' DETRl'lD, MICHIGAN, ASSGNORS T0 UUPIELANB PRUDUCTS, INC., .Ar CORPDRATIUN 0F MICHIGAN.

REGULATNG: MECHANSM.

application inea any 1, met. serrer, no. acarreo.

This invention relates to regulating mechanisms and particularly to that type adapted to control the temperature of refrigerating systems, the principal object being the pro vision of a simple and economical regulating mechanism that Will be eiiicient and accurate in operation.

Another object is to provide a temperature regulating mechanism for refrigerating systems wherein the temperature of the refrigerant leaving the' expansion chamber is employed for controlling devices regulating the flow of refrigerant into the expansion charnberm fllnother object is to provide a temperature controlling mechanism for ai refrigerating, system comprising, in combination With the enpansion chamber or cooling element thereof, acasing secured to the cooling element,

an openingin the casing for the passage of refrigerant, and a valve member movable in the casing and secured at one end against movement to the cooling element at a point remote from the casing, the valve member extending into cooperative relationship vvith the opening.

Another object is to provide, in combination with a cooling element for a refrigerating system, 1a casing secured to the element .adjacent the top thereof provided with an opening for the passage of refrigerant, a longitudinally extending member being secured adjacent one vend thereof to the upper portion of the cooling element and extending in to cooperative relationship with the opening in the casing vvhereby expansion or contraction of the cooling element will control theposi- 'tionof the valve member in respect to the opening and regulate the dow of refrigerant through the opening, means being provided for conducting the refrigerant from the cas ing into the lower part of the cooling element, and 'further means being provided for conducting the refrigerant from the cooling element from the upper portion thereof.

'lhe above being among the objects of the present invention, the saine consists in certain features of construction and combinations of parts to be hereinafter described with reference to the accompanying drawing, and then claimed, having the above and otherobjects in vievvo In the accompanying drawing which illustrates a suitable embodiment of the present 1nvention,

-Fig. l is a more or less diagrammatic side vier-v of a refrigerating system provided vvith a cooling element vor erpansion chamber inu corpbrating a controlling mechanism constructed in accordance with the present invention.

Fig 2 is an enlarged longitudinal sectional view teken verticallv through the center of the cooling element shovvn in llig, l

3 is an enlarged end vievv of the cooling element sliovvn in lllig. l, talren from the baclr.

ls illustrated in l, refrigerating sysu toms ofthe so-called iceless refrigerator type comprise generally a compressor 5, condenser 6 and cooling element or expansion chamber 'i' suitably connecting in series. lt is the usual practice to also include a reservoir d between the condenser 6 and expansion chamber 'l for the purpose of storing the liquid refrigeru ant coming from the condenser d. d suitable source of power such as electric motor 9 is provided for driving the compressor 5. il refrigerant such as butano or sulphur dioru ide is employed in the system, it being talren into the compressor 5 from the expansion chamber 'i' in the form of gas, compressed and delivered to the condenser 6 Where it is cooled and transformed into a liquid, and delivcred to the reservoir 8. From the reservoir El it passes to the cooling element or expension chamber 'l' where it is allowed to eapand into a gaseous state, and returned to the intake side of the compressor 5. Some means are necessary for controlling the flow of liquid refrigerant from the reservoir 8 into the expansion chamber 7 and these means usually incorporate an expansion valve which is usually controlled by the diderence in pressure between the evaporator and the atmosphere. 'lhe Y present invention contemplates the employment of the temperature of refrigerant leaving the expansion chamber 7 for controlling the expansion valve, whereby to control the temperature of the expansion chamber 7. Inasmuch as the temperature of the expansion chamber 7 will vary directly as the temperature of the chamber within which itis situated, the mechanism herein provided will tend to maintain a constant temperature Within such chamber, which temperature titi titl

may be controlled to meet value.

Cooling elements or expanslon chambers a predetermined may be of a variety of different forms and form a chamber such as 10 therebetween.

As illustrated in Figs. 2 and 3 the device j comprising the present invention comprises a casing 11 secured to the under face of the upper portion of the cooling element 7 adjacent to one end thereof. The casing 11 is provided With an axial opening 12 leading into the interior of easing 11 and connected by means of the connection 13 and pipe 14 to the reservoir 8. Another pipe 15 connects the interior of the easing 11 with the bottom of the chamber 10 formed within the cooling element 7. The casing 11 is provided at the side opposite the opening 12 with an enlarged opening 16 closed by a bellows member comprising flexible side walls 17 and a rigid end member 18. Threaded axially into the end member 18 and extending axially through the flexible side wall member 17 into the casing 11 and into cooperative relationship with the opening 12 is a valve member 19 terminating in a tapered end. Threaded axially into the end member 18 and extending therefrom in a direction opposite to the valve member 19 is a rod 20 extending therefrom to a point adjacent the opposite edge of the cooling element 7 and secured adjacent such edge against axial movement to a su port 21 by means of a nut 23, the support 21 being secured against movement to the under face of the upper portion of the cooling element 7 in line with the casing 11. The distance between the member 18 and the support 21 may be varied by loosening the nut 22 and rotating the rod 20 which threads the member 18 either to or laway from the support 21. The member 19 may be locked in such adjusted position by the nut 23 which is threaded on the rod and is adapted to bear against the end of the member 18. A tube or pipe 24 connects the upper portion of the chamber 10 Within the coolmg element 7 to the intake side of the compressor 5.

The cooling elelnent 7 and rod 20 are formed of materials having different eo-efficients of expansion` the material from which the cooling element 7 is formed having a greater eo'efiicient of expansion than the material from which the rod 2() is formed so v that when the temperature of the cooling elegreater extent than will the rod 20 and the greater decrease in length will cause the rod 20 to move the valve member 19 into closer relationship with the opening 12. It will be apparent, of course, that as the valve member 19 is moved away from the end of opening 12, a greater amount of refrigerant will be allowed to low past the valve member 19 into the casing 11 and through the pipe 15 into the chamber 10 formed within the cooling element 7 the reverse, of course, being true.

The operation ofthe above device will be apparentl from the foregoing description. Refrigerant from the compressor 5 passes through the pipe 25 into the condenser 6 where it is cooled to a liquid state and delivered through the pipe 26 into the reservoir 8. From the reservoir 8 the refrigerant passes in liquid state through the pipe 14 to the opening 12 in the casing 11, and past the end of the valve member 19 into the interior of the casing 11. From the casing 11 the refrigerant passes through pipe 15 into the lower portion of the cooling element or expansion chamber 7 where it expands into a gas, thereby absorbing heat from the air around the cooling element 7, and passing upwardly leaves the cooling element 7 by the pipe 24 and returns to the intake side of the compressor 5. Should, for any reason, the

air surrounding the cooling element 7 drop in temperature, the transfer of heat between the cooling element 7 and suoli air will cause more heat to be absorbed by the cooling element 7 and cause it to expand, and in expanding to draw the valve member 19 farther away from the opening 12 and thusallow a greater amount of refrigerant to enter the chamber 10, imparting to the cooling element 7 a greater capacity of heat absorption and lowering the temperature thereof. lVhen the temperature of the cooling element 7 is lowered, the cooling element is caused to contract and due to the difference of the coefficients of expansion between the cooling element 7 and rod 20, the rod 20 will move the valve member 19 into closer relationship with the opening 12 and reduce the amount of refrigerantflowing into chamber 10. This action takes place automatically and tends to hold the-temperature of the cooling element 7 at a constant value, which value is controlled by the position of the rod 20 with respect to the end member 18 as previously described. Thus the mechanism may bc u( justed to provide any suitable predetermined temperature of cooling element 7.

B v placing the valve mechanism adjacent the top of the cooling element 7 it is so situated as to be extremely sensitive to temperature changes inasmuch as the refrigerant adjacent the top of the cooling element 7 has passed through the entire cooling clement 7 and is adjacent the oint ol the discharge, thereby having absor ed a maximum of heat llU lll

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trom the air surrounding the cooling element 7. llere it placed adjacent the bottom ot the cooling element 7 Where the refrigerant is being expanded it would be less sensitive to temperature variation, inasmuch as this portion ol the cooling element 7 is less affected by temperature changes of the air surrounding the same.

brom the foregoing will be apparent that the present invention provides an extremely simple constriiction in which the natural ex pansion and contraction ot the cooling element itselt due to temperature changes ot the air surrounding the same is employed tor operating the expansion valve, and that the construction provided is extremely simple and employs a minimum olf parts that may be ot ragged construction and economically manufactured lt will also be apparent that the materials trom which the cooling element l" and the rod 2li are termed may be reversed so that the rod has a greater coemcient ot espansion than the Walls ot the cooling element 7, and with obvions changes in the relationship betvveen the valve member lll and the opening l2 a device may be provided which will 'linnction in exactly the same manner as the device shown in the drawing, but snch changes are 1Within the skill of an ordinary vvorlnnan versed in the art and are Within the scope ol the present invention.

llormal changes may be made in the specilic embodiment oit the present invention without departing trom the spirit or substance of the broad invention, the scope ot Which is com mensnrate vvith the appended claims..

What vve claim is:

l. lin combination, a cooling element having a relatively high co-eliicient of expansion, a casing secured to said element, an opening in said casing lor the passage ot refrigerant, and a valve member movable in said casing secared at one end against movement to said cooling element at a point remote from said casing, said valve member extending into cooperative relationship with said opening and having a relatively low co-eii'icient of expansion vvhereby variations in the length of said cooling element due to change in temperature thereot" will vary the position of said valve member relative to said casing..

2. ln a refrigerator mechanism, a cooling element, a casing secured thereto, an opening in said casing for the passage of refrigerant, a valve member secured against movement to said cooling element at a point remote from said casing and extending into cooperative'relationship vvith said opening, said valve member having a did'erent co-etlicient of expansion than said cooling element whereby expansion or contraction of said cooling element due to change oi temperature thereof will vary the position of said valve member relative to said ing and said valve member being seenred to said cooling element at spaced points thereon whereby expansion or contraction ot' said cooling element due to variations ol" tempera.n tore thereol will vary the position oli said valve member in respect to'said opening'.

t. ln combination vvit-h the cooling element ol a retrigerator mechanism, a casing secured thereto provided with an opening :tor the pasu sage ol refrigerant therethrough, a longitadi nally entending valve member extending into said casing provided with a part cooperating with said opening to control the llovv ol re t'rigerant through the same, said valve inember being secured to said cooling element at a point remote trom said casing and having a co-elhcient ot" expansion dillerent from that ol'l said cooling element whereby expansion or contraction or said cooling element due to change of temperature thereol Will control the position ot said valve member relative to said. opening, and means lor preventing lealrage el refrigerant between said valve member and said casing.

5. In combination, a cooling element for a refrigerator mechanism, said cooling element having a relatively high co-eihcient of expansion, a casing secured adjacent the top ot said element, an opening in said casing for the introduction ot' refrigerant, a valve member having a relatively lovv co-ellicient of eXpansion positioned adjacent the topot said ele- .ment extending into said casing into cooperative relationship in respect to said opening, said valve member being secured to said cool ing'element at a point remote from said casing, means for conducting refrigerant ont of said casing into the lower portion of said cooling element, and means for conducting refrigerant ont of said cooling element from a point adjacent the top thereofu 6. In combination, a generally ring sha ed cooling element for a refrigerator mec anism, said element having a relatively high co-elicient ot expansion, a casing secured to said element adjacent the top thereof rovided with an opening for the passage o refrigerant, a longitudinally extending member having a relatively low co-ellicient of expansion secured adjacent one end thereof to the upper portion of said element and extending into cooperative relationship with said opening, means for conducting a refrigerant .from

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said casing into the lower portion of said element, and means for conducting said refrigerant out of the upper portion of said element. s

7. lIn combination, a generally ring shaped cooling element, a casing member secured thereto adjacent the top thereof, a pair of openings in said member for the passage of refrigerant, a third opening in said member, a valve member secured at one end to said element adjacent the top thereof at a point re mote from said easing member and extending through said third opening into cooperative relationship with one of the iirst mentioned openings, said valve member having a co-eclent of expansion diierent from that of said element, means for preventing leakage of refrigerant between said valve member and said casing at said third opening, means for adjustably controlling the length of said valve member, a passageway connecting one of the first mentioned openings with the lower part of said element, and means for conducting refrigerant out of the upper part of said element.

GLENN MUFFLY. HODGSON S. PIERCE. 

